SMART rail system taps Masabi for mobile fare app

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is working with Masabi Ltd. to a provide mobile ticketing app for the agency's new commuter-rail service.

Available on the Google Play and Apple App store, Masabi's "SMART eTickets" app enables riders to buy tickets and plan trips. The technology also integrated with the "Transit" app, which provides real-time departure information and service-distruption notifications.

Masabi's app is powered by the JustRide cloud-based mobile ticketing and fare collection platform. The platform includes back-end infrastructure for secure payments, ticket management, customer service, reporting and real-time analytics, Masabi officials said in a press release.

"This is a landmark project that is changing the way people travel in the [San Francisco] Bay area," said Masabi Chief Executive Officer Brian Zanghi, referring to the SMART commuter-rail system.

The JustRide platform has been used for mobile ticketing apps at MTA Metro-North Railroad and Southern California's Metrolink.

SMART trains began passenger service last week following approval from the Federal Railroad Administration.